Araignée rouge, Steel sculpture in Courbevoie, France

Araignée rouge is a red steel sculpture in the La Défense business district, distinguished by its abstract, flowing forms. The work stands out sharply against the angular high-rises and has defined the esplanade area for decades.

Alexander Calder's monumental stabile was erected in 1976, the year of the artist's death, on the place de la Défense in front of the Place Défense building. It stands 15 metres high and weighs 75 tonnes, made of steel painted red. Calder had made a related work, Flamingo, three years earlier in Chicago, facing the Kluczynski Federal Building. The sculpture appears in a scene of Jean Rollin's film La Nuit des traquées.

The sculpture's name evokes a living creature, creating a striking contrast with the straight lines of surrounding skyscrapers. It functions as an organic presence within the geometric architecture of the business district.

The sculpture sits outdoors on the esplanade and is easy to reach on foot while walking through the business district. The best time to view it is early morning or evening, when fewer commuters fill the esplanade.

Calder made the work in 1976, the year he died, and it echoes his Flamingo, erected three years earlier in Chicago opposite the Kluczynski Federal Building. The sculpture also appears in a scene of Jean Rollin's film La Nuit des traquées.